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Propecia is one of the medications prescribed for male pattern baldness. However, recently there has been growing concern that use of Propecia may lead to permanent impotence in some men. Propecia is made by Merck & Co.

In their dangerous drug lawsuits, the plaintiffs are accusing the drug manufacture of failing to adequately warn of the potential sexual side effects. The risks shouldn’t come as a surprise to Merck, considering that Propecia belongs to a class of drug known as the 5-alpha-reductable inhibitors, which is linked to impotence, erectile dysfunction, depression, and a decrease in sexual desire.

A study recently published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine affirms these concerns. The researchers found that drugs often prescribed to treat hair loss (and also benign prostatic hyperplasia) and baldness that contain finasteride or dutasteride may cause irreversible sexual dysfunction and depression. Finasteride is the active ingredient in Propecia.

Boston University School of Medicine Professor Abdulmaged M. Traish, who is the study’s lead researcher, says that nearly everyone who takes these drugs usually experience some of the side effects-although some people more severely than others-and in some cases the effects are permanent even after the men have stopped taking the medication. The professor refers to this outcome as a “life sentence.”

Traish’s team also reports:
• 8% of men who used the drugs experienced erective dysfunction.
• 4.2% said their libido was reduced • Other side effects included depression, decreased semen volume, and reduced ejaculation
Although these side effects are not fatal, they can be physically and psychologically damaging.